


Unity

by stepOnMeZenos



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Au Ra Xaela Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Domestic, M/M, Specific Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Trans Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), ZenoHika Week 2020 (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:21:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26101855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stepOnMeZenos/pseuds/stepOnMeZenos
Summary: Zenos and Sorkhatu spend a leisurely afternoon in their shared home.ZenoHika Week day 3, prompt: Sword
Relationships: Zenos yae Galvus/Warrior of Light
Kudos: 18





	Unity

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3~
> 
> Publishing offshoots of a fic I haven't finished yet? Sure, why not.

The meticulousness with which Zenos treated his swords never failed to astonish Sorkhatu. Prior to getting closer to him, he had thought Zenos to be someone who treated his belongings with little to no care, and that did indeed hold true in many ways. Zenos cared little for worldly possessions, and though he was beginning to learn that replacing them if they broke wasn't quite as simple now that he was no longer crown prince of Garlemald, he wasn't all that inclined to do more than basic maintenance.

Unless it pertained to his swords, that was. 

It was common for Sorkhatu to find him sitting somewhere, examining every single ilm of his oversized swords for damage, wear or even tiny amounts of lint, or judiciously applying oil to the blade. The intense look of focus on his face was something he otherwise only displayed while fighting Sorkhatu. Though he never acted surprised or startled when Sorkhatu made his presence known, and thus wasn't so deeply engrossed that he no longer noticed what happened around him, he would rarely initiate interaction with anyone while taking care of his swords. 

It was oddly enjoyable to watch, really. To the point where it currently slowed his reading speed dramatically. The sight of Zenos dragging the oiled cloth over the surface of the blade, making sure to get it in every single corner kept drawing his attention. The motion was smooth and well-practised, done a million and one times…

With a wry grin, Sorkhatu placed the aetherology dissertation he'd been reading off to the side on the sofa and gave up any pretense of actually taking any of it in. It was terribly dry and not all that informative anyroad. He'd hoped the author would venture deeper into the realm of advanced micro-aetherology, but alas.

The sword Zenos was currently oiling was the second he had worked on today, and one Sorkhatu was not familiar with. Not one of his staples, then. Was it new, or had Sorkhatu merely not noticed it among the other swords? 

He refrained from asking. Though Zenos had never seemed particularly annoyed at being disturbed while he was doing this, there really was no reason to interrupt him for something so unimportant. 

A short while later, Zenos evidently deemed the sword to have been cared for enough and placed it down on the cloth to his feet, where the first one he had oiled up already lay. “Is aught amiss? You have been staring.“

“Oh, nothing,“ Sorkhatu said. “I just like watching you when you do this.“ 

“Why?“

Sorkhatu shrugged. “Do I need a reason to enjoy looking at you?“

“I suppose not,“ Zenos said as he picked up the next sword, turning it over in his hands. “Shall I teach you how to do it?“

Unexpected, but welcome. Sorkhatu didn't have a great deal of interest in learning how to oil swords, but if Zenos wanted to share it with him, then he'd do so gladly. “Show me,“ he said. He scooted over until he sat next to Zenos, who laid out the sword so that it extended over Sorkhatu's lap. 

“The first step,“ Zenos said, “is to remove any trace of dirt. In the process, one may also check for damage that will need further mending, though this blade is unlikely to have any. I've not used it of late.“ 

He handed Sorkhatu a second cloth and wiped the blade up and down near the handle. Sorkhatu did his best to copy the motion without cutting either the cloth or his hand to pieces. This was no dummy sword. The edge was razor sharp. 

For a while, they worked side by side in silence. There was something companionable about working on the same task together like this. 

“What kind of sword is this?“ Sorkhatu asked. A katana, of course, like most of the swords Zenos owned, but he had not seen this particular one before either, or at least he couldn't remember seeing it. The odd tassel extending from the hilt was memorable enough that he thought he would have, however. 

“I acquired it recently,“ Zenos said without taking his eyes off the sword. “Supposedly, it is the sword of an ancient Hingan hero, however it is quite blatantly a fake if one considers the time period it would have been from and how the design does not at all match the way blades were fashioned then. This tassel here, for example, is all wrong. Sword smiths did not go on to attach those for another three hundred years. Still, it is a decent enough blade on its own, and the vendor was quite willing to relinquish it to me after I pointed these facts out to him...“ 

Sly. Without the ability to take swords from his opponents that satisfied his standards of quality, and without the money to buy them more often than not, Zenos had often seemed put out that he could not acquire new blades for himself (though that did make it very easy to come up with nameday presents for him). If he could cajole vendors into giving them up without resorting to illegal means… well, why not? 

“The next step is oiling the blade,“ Zenos said eventually, when the katana had been cleaned to his satisfaction. He pulled out another set of cloth pieces and dribbled a tiny bit of oil from a flask onto them. “Make sure it is applied evenly. It should not drip or run.“ 

Well, that was easy. It was essentially the same motion as before. 

“Do you like doing this?“ he asked as he spread the oil over the steel. 

“I don't mind it, I suppose.“ Zenos held up the blade and turned it over. “'Tis a good way to pass the time. Besides, it would not do to have my blades deteriorate. They must needs be in top condition if I am to fight you.“

“Would you like my help with it in the future, then?“

“No need. I can do it well enough by myself.“

“I'm aware you don't _need_ my help,“ Sorkhatu said. “I'm offering because I want to. Besides, you help me with my library. This is the closest equivalent for you that we have, no?“

At that, Zenos finally looked up from the katana. The faintest hint of a smile showed on his face. “You wish to spend more time with me, is that it?“ 

He was starting to catch on, it seemed.

“Of course,“ Sorkhatu said. “We each have our duties and we can't always be together—and I wouldn't want to share every minute of the day with the same person anyroad—but when we do… I like sharing things with you. Even if it's polishing swords.“ 

Zenos carefully laid the sword they had worked on down next to the other one, pulled Sorkhatu into his lap and then picked up another katana from the pile on the floor. “Then polish swords we shall!“ 

Well, _this_ was significantly nicer than merely sitting next to him. For all the times he had cursed his diminutive height, the fact that he could easily sit in Zenos' lap without causing discomfort for either of them made up for it all. His tail did leave them with some rearranging to do; he couldn't quite sit back to chest, and the tip of the tail needed to be off Zenos' lap unless he wanted to poke him with the spikes, but that was nothing they couldn't deal with. 

They'd be called away on some duty or another soon enough, but for the time being, Sorkhatu accepted the clean cloth from Zenos with a smile and went to work, together with him.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments appreciated.


End file.
